Yoshi’s New Island - 3DShttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/yoshis_new_island/b/3ds/default.aspxen-USTelligent Community 1.5.134.12297 (Build: 5.5.134.12297)An Uninspired Returnhttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/yoshis_new_island/b/3ds/archive/2014/03/13/yoshis-new-island-review.aspxThu, 13 Mar 2014 15:00:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:6688031Dan Ryckert0<p><img border="0" src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/filestorage/CommunityServer.Components.SiteFiles/imagefeed/featured/nintendo/direct/2-13-14/yoshi/yoshi0213-610.jpg" style="max-width:610px;" alt="" /></p>
<p>Whether you consider it a part of the core Mario series or not, few gamers can deny that 1995&rsquo;s Super Mario World 2: Yoshi&#39;s Island was a beautiful and solid platformer. Its sequels on Nintendo 64 and DS didn&rsquo;t quite live up to the quality of the original, but Nintendo hasn&rsquo;t given up on Yoshi&rsquo;s quest to escort Baby Mario to his parents. Yoshi&rsquo;s New Island certainly feels like a sequel to the first game, but it seems a bit too comfortable with sticking to what worked almost 20 years ago without bringing much new to the table.</p>
<p>On a technical level, I can&rsquo;t complain about Yoshi&rsquo;s New Island. Platforming, fighting bosses, and gobbling up enemies all works well throughout the six worlds. Elements that were novel in the original return in similar form; giant Chain Chomps chase you through certain areas, and Yoshi can transform into a variety of vehicles and objects. If you haven&rsquo;t played the original game, this new entry is a pleasant little platformer.</p>
<p>If you were a fan, however, you will only notice downgrades. They&rsquo;re minor, but the fact that Yoshi&rsquo;s New Island adds almost nothing and makes other things slightly worse is annoying. An easily avoidable frustration is an animation hiccup that occurs when you&rsquo;re throwing eggs. If you&rsquo;re moving in the slightest, the aiming and throwing mechanism feels just as crisp as it did on Super Nintendo. For some reason, there&rsquo;s an animation pause that occurs if you toss an egg while standing still. It&rsquo;s only a split second, but I found it annoying enough to make sure I only aimed eggs while I was in motion.</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p>The art style is a more omnipresent downgrade. Whereas the original was crisp and vivid, the visuals of Yoshi&rsquo;s New Island are muddier. It&rsquo;s not a game-ruining issue by any means, but it&rsquo;s another example of this installment not measuring up to the original.</p>
<p>There are really only two new ideas in this game. One is the ability to eat the occasional giant enemy, granting Yoshi a huge egg that can burst through elements of the environment. The other is motion control, which is activated when Yoshi turns into items like balloons, mine carts, and a jackhammer. These simple sections control fine, but aren&rsquo;t particularly fun or memorable.</p>
<p>Nintendo is typically unparalleled when it comes to putting a novel twist on long-running franchises. Some gamers frequently complain about constant entries in the Mario and Zelda series, but each new game almost always has its own identity and feel. A Link Between Worlds is designed to bring back nostalgic feelings of A Link to the Past, but it wasn&rsquo;t content to just make the same game again. It introduced entirely new concepts and features &ndash; something that Yoshi&rsquo;s New Island fails to do, which is surprising and disappointing given Nintendo&rsquo;s history.</p>
<p>Another way that Yoshi&rsquo;s New Island apes the original is the inclusion of a selection of two-player minigames. These weren&rsquo;t particularly noteworthy back then, and they&rsquo;re just as unremarkable now. If you&rsquo;re not finding yourself having fun with the single-player, these simple minigames won&rsquo;t do anything to change your mind about the game.</p>
<p>I&rsquo;ve wanted a solid follow-up to Yoshi&rsquo;s Island for years, and this game is the third in a trilogy of follow-ups that range from half-baked to decent. Considering how unimpressed and apathetic I was towards most of Yoshi&rsquo;s New Island, it might be time to just be happy with my Super Nintendo memories when it comes to this series.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=6688031" width="1" height="1">PlatformingYoshi’s New Island3DSyoshi&#39;s new islandnintendoreview253Yoshi’s New Island Launch Trailer Explains What's Old And What's Newhttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/yoshis_new_island/b/3ds/archive/2014/03/11/yoshi-s-new-island-launch-trailer-explains-what-39-s-old-and-what-39-s-new.aspxWed, 12 Mar 2014 01:44:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:6686722Kyle Hilliard15http://www.gameinformer.com/games/yoshis_new_island/b/3ds/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=6686722http://www.gameinformer.com/games/yoshis_new_island/b/3ds/archive/2014/03/11/yoshi-s-new-island-launch-trailer-explains-what-39-s-old-and-what-39-s-new.aspx#comments<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/filestorage/CommunityServer.Components.SiteFiles/imagefeed/featured/nintendo/direct/2-13-14/yoshi/yoshinewisland_610.jpg" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p>Yoshi&#39;s New Island releases on Friday for 3DS (and 2DS), and a new launch trailer showcases what&#39;s new, and what has stayed the same.</p>
<p>If you played Yoshi&#39;s Island on the Super Nintendo then much of what you know and love remains intact. Additions, some of which have been outlined before, include new egg types, new vehicle transformations, and single-cart multiplayer minigames across multiple 3DSs.</p>
<p>Yoshi&#39;s New Island releases this Friday March 14. For more on the game, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/02/13/yoshi-s-new-island_1920_s-launches-march-14-with-new-features.aspx">head here</a>.</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p>We featured the Super Nintendo Yoshi&#39;s Island as a Super Replay back in 2011. You can check out all of the episodes <a target="_blank" href="http://www.gameinformer.com/themes/blogs/generic/post.aspx?WeblogApp=features&amp;y=2011&amp;m=12&amp;d=12&amp;WeblogPostName=super-replay-yoshi&amp;GroupKeys=">here</a>.</p>
<p><i>[Via: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.computerandvideogames.com/453444/yoshis-new-island-launch-trailer-launches-the-big-egg/">CVG</a>]</i></p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=6686722" width="1" height="1">PlatformingYoshi’s New Island3DSPreviewnintendonew islandyoshi&#39;s islandlaunch2dstrailerYoshi Lays A Giant Egghttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/yoshis_new_island/b/3ds/archive/2014/01/24/yoshi-learns-from-mega-man-s-rush-lays-a-giant-egg.aspxFri, 24 Jan 2014 19:03:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:6544064Mike Futter46http://www.gameinformer.com/games/yoshis_new_island/b/3ds/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=6544064http://www.gameinformer.com/games/yoshis_new_island/b/3ds/archive/2014/01/24/yoshi-learns-from-mega-man-s-rush-lays-a-giant-egg.aspx#comments<p><img style="max-width:610px;" border="0" src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/filestorage/CommunityServer.Components.SiteFiles/imagefeed/featured/nintendo2014/yoshis-new-island/YoshisNewIslandShelltime-610.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>Nintendo has released a new trailer for <a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/games/yoshis_new_island/b/3ds/archive/2013/12/18/yoshi-39-s-new-island-coming-in-spring-2014.aspx">Yoshi&rsquo;s New Island</a> that shows off some of the species&rsquo; new moves. Giant Shy Guys might have been scary in the past, but apparently Yoshi has been practicing his gastrointestinal gymnastics.</p>
<p>You&rsquo;ll see how giant eggs will come in handy (though we&rsquo;re still not clear how eating interacts with the reproductive system). We also get a look at Yoshi&rsquo;s railcar and helicopter forms, as transformations return.</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p>Yoshi&rsquo;s New Island arrives on March 14 for the 3DS and 2DS. We had hands-on time at E3, and you can check out that <a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/games/yoshis_new_island/b/3ds/archive/2013/06/11/protect-baby-mario-in-yoshis-new-island.aspx">preview</a> for more information.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=6544064" width="1" height="1">PlatformingYoshi’s New Island3DSPreviewyoshi&#39;s new islandnintendoYoshi's New Island For 3DS Gets A Release Datehttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/yoshis_new_island/b/3ds/archive/2014/01/10/yoshi-39-s-new-island-on-3ds-gets-a-release-date.aspxFri, 10 Jan 2014 17:36:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:6507907Kyle Hilliard50http://www.gameinformer.com/games/yoshis_new_island/b/3ds/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=6507907http://www.gameinformer.com/games/yoshis_new_island/b/3ds/archive/2014/01/10/yoshi-39-s-new-island-on-3ds-gets-a-release-date.aspx#comments<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/filestorage/CommunityServer.Components.SiteFiles/imagefeed/featured/nintendo2013/yoshisnewisland/YIrelease.jpg" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p>As promised <a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/games/yoshis_new_island/b/3ds/archive/2013/12/18/yoshi-39-s-new-island-coming-in-spring-2014.aspx">in a recent Nintendo Direct presentation</a>, Yoshi&#39;s New Island for 3DS will be available in March.</p>
<p>The game will be available on March 14 in both the eShop and at retail. The game is being developed outside of Nintendo by Arzest, but Takashi Tezuka, the original Yoshi&#39;s Island&#39;s creative director, is serving as producer.</p>
<p>For some of our hands-on impressions of the game from our time with it at E3, <a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/games/yoshis_new_island/b/3ds/archive/2013/06/11/protect-baby-mario-in-yoshis-new-island.aspx">head here</a>. For our Super Replay of Yoshi&#39;s Island, <a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2011/12/12/super-replay-yoshi.aspx">head here</a>.</p>
<p><i>[Source: <a target="_blank" href="http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=41129">Nintendo</a>]</i></p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=6507907" width="1" height="1">PlatformingYoshi’s New Island3DSPreviewnew islandyoshi&#39;s islandsuper mario world 2nintendo 3dsshy guys on stiltsYoshi's New Island Coming In Spring 2014http://www.gameinformer.com/games/yoshis_new_island/b/3ds/archive/2013/12/18/yoshi-39-s-new-island-coming-in-spring-2014.aspxWed, 18 Dec 2013 14:18:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:6473402Jeff Cork36http://www.gameinformer.com/games/yoshis_new_island/b/3ds/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=6473402http://www.gameinformer.com/games/yoshis_new_island/b/3ds/archive/2013/12/18/yoshi-39-s-new-island-coming-in-spring-2014.aspx#comments<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/filestorage/CommunityServer.Components.SiteFiles/imagefeed/featured/nintendo/direct/12-18-13/YOSHI/YOSHI_610.jpg" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p>Nintendo provided a bit more information on Yoshi&#39;s New Island, including a slightly more dialed-in release date for the 3DS game. Players will be able to play it this upcoming spring. </p>
<p>In addition to that, Nintendo showed off some new footage of the game in action. The game features the same pseudo hand-drawn art style of the SNES game Yoshi&#39;s Island, and we saw a snow level, giant Shy Guy, and more.</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=6473402" width="1" height="1">PlatformingYoshi’s New Island3DSPreviewyoshiyoshi&#39;s new islandnintendoProtect Baby Mario Again In Yoshi's New Islandhttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/yoshis_new_island/b/3ds/archive/2013/06/11/protect-baby-mario-in-yoshis-new-island.aspxTue, 11 Jun 2013 21:53:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:2975804Dan Ryckert27http://www.gameinformer.com/games/yoshis_new_island/b/3ds/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=2975804http://www.gameinformer.com/games/yoshis_new_island/b/3ds/archive/2013/06/11/protect-baby-mario-in-yoshis-new-island.aspx#comments<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/nintendo2013/yoshisnewisland/yoshi610.jpg" border="0" style="max-width:610px;" alt="" /></p>
<p>I&#39;ve long been a fan of the underrated Super Mario World 2: <a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2011/12/12/super-replay-yoshi.aspx" target="_blank">Yoshi&#39;s Island</a> on SNES, so I was excited to learn that a new entry was coming to 3DS. Nintendo tried a follow-up years ago with the disappointing Yoshi&#39;s Island DS, so I&#39;ve been cautiously optimistic that this would feel like a true sequel. After playing a roughly 10-minute demo at Nintendo&#39;s software showcase this morning, I came away neither confident it would be a slam dunk or disappointed in what I played.</p>
<p>While all of the marketing materials for Yoshi&#39;s New Island feature the art style seen in the SNES classic, the in-game models are 3D rather than hand-drawn. This makes Yoshi, Baby Mario, and the enemies resemble characters from the underwhelming Yoshi&#39;s Story rather than Yoshi&#39;s Island. Considering that the beautiful art style was one of the most distinctive features of the SNES original, I was disappointed with the change in aesthetic.</p>
<p>Gameplay will feel familiar to fans of the original, as Yoshi eats enemies and tosses eggs to protect Baby Mario. Collectible flowers and red coins are sprawled throughout the colorful stages, and stars increase the amount of time that you can be separated from Baby Mario before he&#39;s taken away.</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p>One feature that&#39;s brand new to this 3DS sequel is the new giant egg. By swallowing a massive version of a Shy Guy or other baddie, Yoshi can produce a massive, screen-filling egg. This can be tossed through pipes, rocks, and other environmental objects in an effort to collect coins and open up new paths.</p>
<p>At the end of the brief demo stages, I ran into a boss room that contained a small bat. The wizard Kamek showed up, and smashed the bat with a massive, magical hammer. Like the magic dust in the SNES version, this caused the small enemy to become massive. I ran around, ate tiny bats, and tossed eggs at the huge bat until I hit him three times and he died.</p>
<p>The demo ended at that point, and I walked away from the booth with mixed opinions. It&#39;s great to see one of my favorite 16-bit titles getting another sequel, but I feel that some of the charm has been sapped from Yoshi&#39;s New Island. It&#39;s visually less interesting, and even the music was less memorable. Fortunately, the basic gameplay of the platformer appears to be intact. If Nintendo presents some interesting levels and boss fights in the final product, it should be enough to warrant another trip to the island.</p>
<p><i>Visit our&nbsp;<a title="E3 News Headquarters" href="http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/06/07/your-e3-2013-news-headquarters.aspx">E3 News Headquarters</a>&nbsp;for all the stories from the show.</i></p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2975804" width="1" height="1">PlatformingYoshi’s New Island3DSmarioPreviewyoshi